Chain belt



Jan. 30, 1945.

Filed Aug. 8, '1942 7 z 7 f/ f 7 H l |ln e, IJ. .H Y MH A. l VIMWU U m Z l0. la o/-, m i .M d H Il M I A a Z INVENTORS. M125,

GEORGE 6.

leatented Jan. 30, 1945 UNITED STATES I.reTENT OFFICE i v2,368,372 n M f CHAINBikini:' v e s George G. Mize, Indianapolis, Ind;,assignor to Diamond Chain and Manufacturing Company,

Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation oflndiana v Application August s, 194,2, sedative. 454,038 l eoiaims. 101.7442316) A This invention relates to a chain-.belt adapted for use in the transmission of power to'or from a V-grooved pulley or between a pair of such pulleys. v

It has heretofore been proposed (Firminger PatentNo. 1,476,603) to construct such a chain belt by applying to an articulated chain a series of U-shaped, spring-metal `clips each of which straddles the chainandbears at opposite sides thereof a pair of pads of compressible material adapted to engage the opposed faces of a V- grooved pulley. I have found that achainLbelt so constructed is of limited utility, because 4of breakage of the intermediate portions of the pad-bearingclips. I believe this breakage to be due to fatigue probably resulting from the transmission of forces through the clip from one pulley-face to the other. l

It is the object of my invention to produce a chain-belt which can be simply and economically constructed. A further object ofV my invention is to produce a chain-belt embodying pulley-engaging pads carried by spring-metalclips which will be less subject to breakage than those heretofore used. Another object of my invention is to proudce a pad-bearing clip which can be used Without change on chains of different Widths.

In carrying out my invention I'employ a chain embodying an endless -series of pivotally interconnected links. On opposite sides of each of alternate links of such a chain I mount generally U-shaped, spring-'metal clips, each of which straddles only a portion of the width of the chain. Each clip has an outer leg overlying the outer face of the associated link and bearing a pulley-y engaging pad and an inner leg which engages an intermediate portion of the associated link and resiliently holds the outer leg against the outer face of the link.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a planA view of a portion of a chain in which my invention has been embodied; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the pads carried by the clips in engagement with the opposed faces of a V-grooved pulley; and Fig. 3 is a fragmental side elevation showing two clips associated with one side of the chain, one clip being illustrated as bearing a pad and the other being illustrated with the pad removed.

The chain illustrated in the drawing com-r prises a series ofv alternately arranged pin-links and bushing-links.l Each of the pin-links cornprises a. pair of pins l extendingfor the full Width of the chain and interconnected by a pluof bushing links, each of which comprises .a pair.

rality of plates having a press fit upon such pins.

As shown,y there rare a pair of outer plates Il spacedinwardlya slight distance from the ends of the associatedpins and va kplurality of innerA plates l2`s`paced atintervals along the pins; but the number and arrangement of pin-link plates in each pin-link may vary. Successive pin links of the chain are interconnected by a plurality of bushings '-l'srotatable upon the pins of vadjacent pin links and interconnected by one or more,v

bushing-link platesv I6. ,To hold Ythe 'bushing links in positionlaterally ofthe chain, and `also reduce the magnitude` of beam stresses in the pins, 'the bushings I5 of the bushing links ll the gaps between spaced. pin-link plates on each pin. In the particular .chain illustrated, each of the outer bushings on each pin Il) carries'a pair of plates i6 at'its ends, While eachof the remaining bushings onv the pin carries a single plate lSlocated centrallyof the bushing, V

Associated with'each vof the pin linksgare .a

pair ofgenerally U-shaped, spring-metall clips p 20. Each of such clips has a plane body por-Y tion j2| adapted to lie against the outer face of the pin-link il andan arm "2,2 which extendsy from one side of thebody portion 2| and Which is bent onv an arc of apDrOXimately 180 yin extent' and of such a radius that the end portion of the arm A22 will engage `resiliently the remote face .of an inner pin-link plate I2 at or near the plane containing the axes ofthe two pins kassociated with the pin-link. Desirably, the extreme" end portion of each'of the arms 22 is reversely bent to provide anoutwardly'convex surface en-v gaging the inner pin-'link plate l2 in the manner described.

The body portion vof each `clip 2| is preferably generally trapezoidal in shape and is providedv with a pair of spaced holes receiving the ends- 0f the pins l0 of the associated pin link. To the outer surface of the body portion 2l there is aiixed a pad 25 of some suitable compressible material, such as leather, the outer face of rwhich is shaped to engage one of the opposed faces of a V-grooved pulley 26. Conveniently, each of the 4pads 25 is held in place on its associated clip 20 by providing the body portion 2l of the latter at points along its longer side and end edges with pointedsngers 21 which may be bent inwardly of the body portion andforced into the sides and ends of the pad, as Will 'be clear from the drawing.

In the finished chain-belt, each of the clips, together with its associated pad 25,y is held in place at the side of the chain by the resilience of the arm 22, with the projecting ends of the associated pins l being received in the holes of the body portion of the clip to transmit driving effort to or from the chain. Because each of the two pads 25 associated with each pin link are held thereon by clips which are independent of each other, there can be no transmission of forces through the relatively thin metal of the clip from one pulley-face to the other. The amount of stress introduced into the resilient arm 22 of each clip as a result of force exerted on the associated pad 25 by the engaging face of the pulley 26 is exceedingly slight, since the inner end of the arm 22 is notl anchored in any xed position or with anyiixed orientation rela-- tive to the associated chain link. Because the maximum load which can be imposed upon them in service is relatively small, my pad-bearing clips have proven to be very long-lived.

Since each of my clips bears a single pad, the same clips may be used without change in the production of chain-belts of any desired width.

In vthe drawing, I have shown each wedgeshaped friction pad 25 disposed on the clip-body 2| with its thicker edge remote from the arm 22 sothat the arms 22 of the several clips will project from the chain-belt inwardly with respect to grooved pulleys over which the chain-belt runs. This is usually desirable when the chain-belt is used to transmit power between two grooved pulleys, as the possibility of the clips striking against some interfering object is thereby reduced. However, as where there would be insufiicient clearance for inwardly projecting clip-arms 22 or where the belt is to be used to transmit power between a grooved pulley and a sprocket, the pads may be reversed on the clip-bodies 2 l.

I claim as my invention: l

I. A 'chain belt,y comprising an ,endlessV chain having alternating, pivotally connected inner and outer links, each of said outer links including a pair of pins extending transversely of the chain through adjacent inner links and a pair of outer side plates interconnecting said pins, each of said outer links also having two laterally spaced `inner side plates provided at their ends with holes receiving said pins, two generally U-shaped clips of resilient material-associated with each of said outer links, each of said clips having an outer end overlying the outer face of one of' said outer side plates and being provided with a pair. of spaced holes receiving the ends of said pins, the other end of such clip resiliently engaging the remoteV face of one of said inner side plates, and a pulley-engaging friction pad affixed to the outer end of each clip.

2. A chain belt, comprising an endless chain having alternating, pivotally connected inner and outer links, each of said outer links including a pair of pins extending transversely of the chain through adjacent inner links and a pair of outer side plates interconnecting said pins, two generally U-shaped clips oi resilient material associated with each of said outer links, each of said clips having an outer end overlying the'outer face of one of said outer side plates and being provided with a pair of spaced holes receiving the ends of said pins, the inner end oi such clip being disposed intermediate the width oi the chain,

said outer links being provided with abutments resiliently engaged respectively by the inner ends of. said clips to hold the outer clip-ends against the associated outer side plates, and a pulleyengaging friction pad aiiixed to the outer end oi each clip.

3. A chain belt, comprising an endless chain having alternating, pivotally connected inner and outer links, each of said outer links including a pair of pins extending transversely of the chain through adjacent inner links and a pair of outer side plates interconnecting said pins, a pulleyengaging friction pad overlying the outer face of each ci said outer links, and means for retaining each of said pads in position, said means including a resilient member acting between thepad and the associated inner link and engaging the latter at a point intermediate its width.

4. Av device forv converting into a chain-belt a chain having alternating inner and outer links pivotally interconnected in series by pivot pins.,

said device comprising a generally U-shaped clip of resilient mateiiaL said clip having a broad end and a narrow end, said broad end being adapted to lie against an outer face of an outer link and having two spaced holes for the reception of the ends of the pivot pins associated with such link. the narrow endv of said clip being adapted to engage the outer link interiorly between such two pivot pins, and a pulley-engaging friction pad secured to the broad end of said clip.

5. A device for converting into a chain-belt a chain having alternating inner and outer links pivotally interconnected in series by pivot pins, said device comprising a generally U-shaped clip of resilient material, said clip having a broad end anda narrow end, said broad end being adapted to lie against an outer face of an outer link, the narrow end oi said clip being adapted to engage the outer link interiorly between the two pivot pins associated with such link, and a pulleyengaging friction pad secured to the broad end of said clip.

GEORGE G. MIZE. 

